Breaking the Rules
by Darthrose
Summary: Being a kunoichi, it should have been easy for her to plunge the dagger through the heart of her prey. She shouldn’t have needed a second thought about her actions. So why? Why couldn’t she kill Kagetora?
1. 1st Rule

**Breaking the Rules:**

Ten feet deep was the chasm which had been dug into the soft loamy soil layered bamboo that shot up from the hole in hazardous spikes. The spears ranged from four to five feet in length. Tips of the dangerous, razor sharp canes were designed to kill. The bamboo that had been saturated in five day old urine was now crawling with dangerous bacteria and lethal disease. If someone hadn't died from being speared through, they would surely lose their life to their infected wounds, or at least lose a limb or two.

The surface of the trap was covered in thin netting which was strong enough to hold fallen leaves but not strong enough to carry the weight of a full grown man.

Casually peering down the fissure was a brunette ninja clad in a black, standardized shinobi outfit. He was careful to stay away from the edge of the trap; he did not want the earth beneath his feet to break away and cause him to fall into his own trap. Now that would be very, very stupid.

The ninja who was roughly the age of eighteen years closed his cold, unfeeling eyes and stood up. The shinobi had grown tired watching his prey struggle to pull himself out of the spikes but to no avail. The shinobi was tired of listening to the man choke on his own blood as he tried to curse at his murderer. The shinobi knew there was no use waiting around anymore for the man to die. His fate was already sealed from the moment he decided to take the mission in assassinating the runaway ninja.

Although the ninja would never admit this, he was truthfully sick on the inside. Love sick that is. How he wished he had returned to the future with his one true love rather than stay behind just because it was 'his time'. Oh well, it was too late for that now. He would never see her again and that was for the best. Or so he hoped.

To keep his mind off the dying man, the ninja recited the three main rules of being a shinobi.

_A ninja must carry out the mission no matter what without hesitation._

_A ninja must not show any emotions._

_A ninja must either kill or be killed._

Glancing up at the noonday sun, the ninja muttered to himself,

"… I'm hungry…"

* * *

"Are you okay Kagetora-san?"

A curious, light voice cut through all the other background noises as clear as day. Upon hearing his name, Kagetora snapped his head up to face the girl causing him to break free from his chain of thoughts. Standing in front of him was a nineteen year old female waitress.

Her raven black hair which flowed over her shoulders pressed gently against the back of her dark blue kimono heavily decorated with black silhouettes of butterflies which were thinly lined with silver thread. The girl's charcoal black eyes that were hypnotically captivating would often cause Kagetora to lose himself in her intense gaze.

Her name; Maiko Satsuki.

"Kagetora-san?" the Japanese girl repeated his name bending down slightly, this time raising a perfectly arched eyebrow as she placed his plum tea and rice balls on the table he was sitting at. There he went again -- where ever his thoughts lead him to when he forgot himself in her presence. Forcing a quick smile to appear on his lips, Kagetora spoke in a soothing tone;

"I'm fine Satsuki-san… In fact, I should be the one asking you if you are alright. You seem to be rather sad today."

A quick change in the subject forced the question to turn on her instead. Maiko's eyes widened slightly in surprise; she was unable to believe that he was able to see through her mask of smiles. Quickly shaking her head, she lied, "I'm fine, really. Umm… you should drink your tea before it gets cold." It was an obvious diversion from the truth, and Kagetora knew that all too well. But he let it slide for the moment as he took a sip of his plum tea.

As he drank it, he couldn't help but remember that this was the first thing he ever ordered in this small restaurant. Ever since then, he always felt compelled to return, at least once every two days for the past several months; just too see how Maiko was faring after he had pulled her out of the 'lake'. He was the restaurant's best customer even though he only ever ordered rice balls and tea.

That's when the ninja noticed something rather strange. He felt his senses begin to dull. His head felt heavy and his movements felt sluggish. It took him a few moments before realization sank in.

He had been poisoned.

Slowly, his fingers wrapped themselves around Maiko's wrist before tightening slightly. But because his senses clouding over, she was able to slip her feminine hand from his grasp in one simple movement.

_She_ had poisoned _him._

"Why…? Satsuki…?" Kagetora's voice began to fail as he tried to force his head to look up at her but was unable to lift it up from the table. Maiko actually had a rather genuine look of remorse on her face as she said, "I'm sorry…"

Kagetora felt his vision blur as his head landed on the table top. No one heard the thud because Maiko placed her hand underneath his head so that the sound was muted. Kagetora didn't know whether it was because she didn't want anyone to come over to inspect or because of the fact he had saved her from drowning.

"I… trusted… you…" Kagetora's voice betrayed him when it cracked as he felt his lashes dampen slightly. Lowering her head to his level, she whispered into his ear, "I know…"

Once Kagetora had passed out, another waitress passed by the table. A quizzical look crossed her face as she spoke, "Excuse me ma'am, but is everything alright?"

Maiko easily faked a smile just as easily as she could end another ninja's life.

"Yes, everything's fine. My husband just has a low tolerance for alcohol."

* * *

Dragging dead weight through a crowded street to the forest without being detected is not any easy feat. That's why Maiko did not take the hardest way to the forest like other ninjas. She wasn't stupid. The raven haired girl merely took him through the underground sewers.

Finding an empty space in a forest of bamboo which stuck together like glue was much easier than carrying out the mission. A couple times the kunoichi was tempted to abandon the mission and escape with Kagetora, the runaway ninja she had been assigned to kill. But no… That was just no possible. As a ninja, it was her duty to stick by the rules that had been drilled into her cranium since birth.

_So what if Maiko and Kagetora had grown up in the same ninja community? _

_So what if the two had known each other since childhood?_

_So what if they were the best of friends? _

None of that mattered now. Kagetora was a traitor and will forever be branded as one, even after death. There would be no way that Maiko would disgrace herself and leave her clan. She wasn't like him. She wasn't compassionate like him, or sincere. She was a ninja; a ninja shrouded in a veil of lies and deceit having only a mask of deception to cover the darkness of her heart.

It would be completely illogical for one such as her to love another.

_Right? _

As a kunoichi, Maiko should carry out her mission with swift and gracefulness. It should have been easy for her to plunge the dagger through the heart of her prey. She shouldn't have needed a second thought about her actions. So why?

_Why couldn't she kill him?_

* * *

**A/N: **This story has been split into three parts since it was too long to fit as the one shot I had originally intended. Also, this story was made as a birthday present for a friend of mine. =)

Please review. Constructive criticism is welcome.


	2. 2nd Rule

_**A/N**_: The Story starts off with a flash back so don't be confused and wonder what's going on, ok?

* * *

"_Kagetora-kun! Kagetora-kun!" exclaimed an eight year old Maiko Satsuki as she ran over to her childhood friend Kagetora. "What is it Maiko-chan?" the young ninja asked curiously, wondering why the little girl in pony tails was in such a hurry to meet him. _

_When Maiko reached him, she tried to compose herself, but to no avail. So when she tried to speak, her words sounded like a chipmunk on steroids. It was insane how fast women can talk when excited. Smiling a crooked smile, Kagetora tried calming his friend down and asked her to start from the top for he had not understood a word she said in chipmunk language._

_Flushing a bright shade of red, Maiko repeated, slowing her speech to a more understandable level. Although the girl's jabbering was still quick and long, Kagetora was able to pick out the important parts._

"_Sensei and I have been called on a mission together to Kyoto!"_

_Although the two of them were the same age and all, only a few months apart, but Kagetora was always the better ninja. So it came as a shock that Maiko, not Kagetora, had received a mission at such an early stage in their lives. _

_Kagetora was the prodigy. Not her. _

_Kagetora was the smarter one. Not her._

_Kagetora was the better combatant. Not her._

_Although feeling rather put out, Kagetora couldn't help but smile back. She was, after all, waiting for this day ever since who knows when. All she could ever do was talk about when she would be picked for a mission. So, the least he could do was be happy for her._

"_So… how long will you be gone Maiko-chan?"_

_Kagetora hoped that she wouldn't be gone for too long. Although the young ninja would never admit to this, he really enjoyed being with her. She was good for him because he didn't have to talk much when they were together. She did all the talking._

_That was when Maiko's expression changed from her usual happy-go-lucky self to a not so happy-go lucky look. Actually, she looked down right miserable._

"_How… long…?"_

_Kagetora felt a tugging sensation in his gut letting him know that he was going to regret even asking._

_Letting her head sag, Maiko answered in a dejected voice._

"_Several years…"_

_Kagetora's eyes flew wide open, unable to believe his ears. How could a mission possibly be so long? And why did it have to be her? Why did she have to be the one to leave? Why was his only friend leaving him? _

_Thoughts ran through the ninja's mind like a bullet train, unable to connect the information, unable to put together the pieces of the puzzle. All he could do was ask himself, _

'_Why her…?'_

"_Kagetora-kun…?" Maiko's clear, innocent voice called out to him like a wind chime of a bell on a summer's morning. Unable to bring himself to speak, Kagetora could only look at her face. It was near impossible to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall from his face._

_Maiko pretended not to notice as she held out her little finger and said,_

"_No matter where we are, we'll be friends forever and ever. Promise?"_

_Kagetora was silent for a moment as his brain slowly processed what was going on. When his train of thought finally came to a slow, Kagetora linked his pinky with hers and said,_

"…_Forever."_

* * *

_**Ten years later…**_

_It was dark and stormy night. The wind was so strong that trees bent and groaned at the strain, threatening to snap into two. The gale howled louder than a pack of wolves along with the deafening thunder and rain which fell harder than hail. One would think that the rain would be able to put out any fire, but apparently, that wasn't the case for the palace of Edo which was lit ablaze. The flames were so intense that water would evaporate right before it touched the fire as it continued to lick up the wooden frames of the building._

_A group of ninjas stood atop a couple of the tallest trees in a nearby forest, watching their handiwork from afar. Each one of them had a similar look of satisfaction on each other's faces; all except one. A female ninja, a kunoichi. Maiko Satsuki._

_She seemed to be constantly on edge as she watched the majestic blaze grow and dance in the midnight air which was now choking with smoke. She seemed to be slightly disturbed at the sight even though it was she who gave the idea of burning the palace to the ground. Although it wasn't a sure fire way to kill everyone in the palace, it gave the biggest impact; second to going in there and slaughtering everyone—but that was too dangerous._

_One of her companions noticed her distress and pulled down his mask to speak. "Maiko, what's the matter?" When he spoke he was sure to keep his voice low enough for her to hear. Although his speech was barely audible, the other ninjas' had hearing which rivaled the best of ninja. There was no point whispering unless you were a mile away. _

_Maiko shook her head, but not to indicate her answer, but to show her distaste. "It's just… why are we burning down the palace that Kagetora-ku… Kagetora-san, one of our own, was assigned to protect? Setsuna?" she mumbled into her mask unhappily. Although the kunoichi had known the answer from the beginning, she was starting to question the mission. _

_Turning her questioning gaze towards her raven haired partner, he let out a sigh from his perfectly shaped lips. Why was she being so hard about this? Setsuna knew that Maiko and Kagetora had known each other and were best friends. But that was ten years ago. Anything could've changed during that time. She didn't need Kagetora anymore. She wasn't the same, inept little girl he had been partnered to nine years ago. She was now a very capable young woman who could easily take down men twice her size. _

_Although he was the only one who knew why Maiko had chosen the option of burning the palace, Setsuna had not said a word about it. He knew that she wanted Kagetora to survive. If there was any ninja that could escape unharmed, it was him._

_Speaking in his naturally eloquent voice, Setsuna simply said, "Because it is our mission to exterminate everyone in the palace. Rule number one remember? A ninja must carry out the mission no matter what without hesitation." Maiko frowned. She clearly remembered the rule, but she still wanted to know the reason. Money? _

_That would be a reason… but not a very good one… _

"_I know that, but why?" she demanded unhappily. "Because… well we… that is…" the ninja's voice faltered slightly. Even though he was the leader of the mission, he didn't know either. It was a ninja's job to accept a mission without asking any questions. That's why those who hire out ninjas stay anonymous along with the amount of money they were willing to pay._

_Letting out a sigh, the captain of the group gently pulled down her mask and said, "just don't let it get to you, ok?" A light blush crept onto Maiko's cheeks as he gently caressed them. Suddenly, the other ninjas seemed to turn their attention to cleaning the weapons or gazing intently at the flaming palace. They all knew what was going to happen next._

_This reaction from their teammates caused Setsuna to laugh softly as he leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. But as soon as the kiss started, it ended when he pulled away from a rather stunned Maiko. The leader couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her dazed expression. He wasn't used to seeing her wear such a cute look on her face before._

_Setsuna's eyes widened and he couldn't help but gasp when he felt Maiko plant her lips on his roughly, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull his deeper into the kiss. Now, the other ninjas seemed to be concentrating really hard on whatever it was they were doing. Like cleaning and or playing with their weapons, watching the fire or doing handstands on the thinnest branch for as long as possible._

_But before the kiss could go any further from there, Setsuna fought between his urge to continue and the responsibility to complete the mission. Finally, he pulled away from a now upset Maiko. Turning his attention away from her and to his other teammates, he spoke in a stern voice, "It seems that we have two escapees from the palace. And he seems to be travelling with the princess… we'd better go after him."_

_Then, he ordered the other four ninja to split into groups of two and give chase and that he and Maiko would be following behind just in case they needed their help. The other four were considered novices compared to Setsuna and Maiko. So Setsuna felt that it was his responsibility to let them grow on their own—with a little help._

_Once the four of them were gone, Setsuna pecked the kunoichi on the cheek before saying, "We'll continue this later." Pulling up her mask, she nodded in agreement and they too left._

* * *

"_Beni-hime-sama! This way!" a male ninja exclaimed when the princess he was protecting slowed down. "Kagetora, please go ahead of me. I will be fine," she said calmly. Kagetora's eyes widened in horror, but before he could say anything, he sensed many presences surrounding him. _

"_Hime-sama…Run…" he growled in a low voice. She hesitated for a moment but when she heard the distress in his voice, she nodded and left._

_

* * *

_

_The smell of blood hit the noses of Setsuna and Maiko like a sledge hammer. Worry filled her eyes as she glanced over at her partner's stoic face. It took him a few moments before he realized that she was looking at him and he turned his hard gaze at her. Setsuna's gaze slowly melted when he looked at her and he tried to pull a convincing smile. But it was too late. She knew what he knew and the look on his face merely reinforced her guess._

"_Maiko, I want you to look for Ayame and Ryousuke. I'll go after Daisuke and Katsuhiko," he said calmly, hiding his worry behind his mask. Nodding, Maiko altered her path._

_When she reached the spot where Daisuke and Katsuhiko were the first two who were supposed to meet the runaways, her eyes widened and the most she could do was stifle a scream. There, lying at her feet were the bloodied bodies of Daisuke and Katsuhiko. Falling to her knees, the blood dampened grassed stained her fingers as she cursed aloud. She swore to kill the man who slaughtered her little brother, Daisuke and her teammate, Katsuhiko._

_

* * *

_

_Breaking through a clump of bushes, Maiko made it into a clearing. She didn't even wince as the blades of grass sliced her skin as she ran through the forest faster than any other ninja could. Only moments ago had she passed by her two fallen comrades, Ayame and Ryousuke, fueling her thirst for revenge. She will kill the one who butchered her friends._

_She came to a pause when she saw Setsuna pinned to a tree with kunai. Her eyes widened in horror as she staggered towards him. Her head was now dizzy from the scent of blood that was leaking from his body. "Maiko…" he groaned, coughing out blood in the process. He was still alive, but barely. She knew he was going to die for every kunai that pinned him to the tree was stabbed through every last vital organ in his body. _

"_No… Setsuna…" she breathed softly as she stumbled towards him. She felt as if her world was crumbling under her feet as she watched her fiancé bleed to death. Why did this have to happen? They were to be married only a month after this mission which was supposed to be 'safe'! So why? Why was this happening??_

_Before Maiko could utter a word, Setsuna spoke in a pained tone. "Everyone's… dead… he… killed us… he… Kage…tora… did this…" he groaned, hacking up more blood._

_The kunoichi almost blacked out there and then upon hearing that it was her once best friend that removed her teammates off the face of the earth. She knew he would have escaped the flames of death, but she had no idea that her decision would cost the lives of everyone she held dear. Now, she had no choice but to end the life of the last person she loved before he could continue with the excruciating pain._

_Tightening her grasp on a kunai, she leaned in and her lips onto Setsuna's lips as he writhed in pain, she whispered to him, "I love you…"_

_

* * *

_

"_Please hurry hime-sama! There might be more men coming after you!" a male ninja pleaded when the princess stopped in her tracks only to pull out a comb. A comb? What the hell was she doing taking out a comb? To fix her hair?? She can do that later when they weren't running for their lives! Kagetora knew that he would not be able to withstand another attack. He was exhausted from the fight with Setsuna. Not to mention, that his assailant had dipped his weapons in poison. He would not be able to fight another ninja. He doubted he would be able to protect himself if he were to be soloed by a ten year old kunoichi._

"_Kagetora, I want you to take this and think of me when you look at it," she said with a kind smile as if to say that she was going to die. "Hime…sama…" he breathed as he took it from her. Why was she giving it to him? He knew it was her favorite comb. So why?_

'_Die… Kagetora!!' Maiko screamed mentally as she threw a mini cherry bomb in his direction. She was completely muddled with rage she didn't care how she killed him anymore. Just as long as he died._

_Kagetora's eyes widened as he grabbed the Princess and leapt into the water, the explosion rendering him unconscious. The kunoichi knew they weren't dead and so she leapt forward and swung her kunai blindly in the thick smoke. _

_Her weapon met with soft skin before slicing right through bone. Reaching out, she grabbed whoever it was and tossed the person aside. When she saw that it was only the princess, she clicked her tongue in irritation. What she cut off was not Kagetora's head, but the princess's hand._

'_Damn…'_

* * *

**A/N: **Please rate and review. Constructive criticism is welcome.


	3. 3rd Rule

**A/N: **

This final chapter was kinda rushed, so I apologize for any mistakes I might have made.

_**

* * *

**_

1# A NINJA MUST CARRY OUT A MISSION NO MATTER WHAT WITHOUT HESITATION…

'_Damn! Damn! Damn!! Damn!!!' _

The female kunoichi screamed mentally as she threw aside the kunai knife, embedding itself in one of the many bamboo trees that had stood for the past century or so causing a couple leaves to fall from their places. Birds that were at rest on the nearby bamboo quickly took flight the moment the single cane shook on impact, their shrill voices crying out loud in clear displeasure.

Why now? Of all the times in the world, why could she not bring herself to kill the one, who had caused her such pain in the past; the one who had tormented her in her dreams every single night leading up to this day when he killed her fiancé. Why could she not sink the dagger through his perfectly chiseled chest and through his heart? Why could she not bring herself to silence the calming sounds of his breathing? The sound that would always take her fears away when they were lost and alone in the dark; the sound that let her know that he was there to protect her.

Actually, Maiko knew the answer… right from the very beginning. As simple as the answer was, it was the hardest to figure out. It was the hardest answer to accept because she knew deep down that if she were to accept that hard fact, her life would spiral into an endless road filled with suffering and impossible trials. But the truth stood out like a sore thumb.

She loved him.

_**2# A NINJA MUST NOT SHOW ANY EMOTIONS…**_

The raven haired kunoichi felt her lashes damped with tears that rolled gently down her pale face. First it was one. Then it was two. Soon, the accursed tears broke free, flowing over her emotional barricades. One of the hardest rules of all to keep was not the first rule, but the second. As strange as it sounded, ninjas were still human. Or at least a miniscule part of a very vital beating organ in their body was.

Clenching her teeth, her nails dug deeply into her porcelain skin causing scarlet streaks of blood to form as she bitterly cursed her weakness. She had to end his life. She knew that. But she also wanted to start anew, with him by her side. Her future would be bleak in different ways, both very painful, if she were to carry out her mission or decide to bail. She tried to move for the kunai, to end the torture, but she just could not.

She knew what she _needed _to do.

But, she also knew what she _wanted_ to do.

Her mind was at war with her heart.

* * *

_**3# A NINJA MUST KILL OR BE KILLED...**_

The sunlight practically killed Kagetora's eyes the moment he awoke. While his brain was half conscious, he was able to recall the events of the previous day.

Everything was normal. He had ended the life of another ninja who had sought his and met Maiko at the little restaurant just the other day to order his usual meal. But the one thing that was different was the fact that she had poisoned him-- Or at least rendered him unconscious momentarily.

Quickly shaking the thought out of his head he firmly told himself that she had betrayed him. But, if she had betrayed him, why was he still alive? She had the perfect opportunity to finish him off. So why did she just put him to bed in a motel that overlooked Edo?

Unless…

'_I'm already dead??'_

* * *

After panicking for about two and a half hours, the ninja was able to compose himself. He still felt pain in his side when he fell off the bed, so that must mean he was still alive. But even after running his head into a couple trees along the way to the small restraint on the outskirts of town, he wasn't fully convinced. Maybe if he were to find Maiko. Maybe she might explain her actions, if she was still there. Who knows if she bailed from her 'work'? And if she did, only god knows where she would be.

Upon arriving at the little restaurant situated on the outskirts of the town, Kagetora found one of Maiko's co-workers wiping down the tables and chairs before any of their customers arrived for breakfast. He recognized the girl to be one of Maiko's only friends at the work place, which was quite rare to find someone minutely close to Maiko. The girl had short light brown hair which framed her sharp features perfectly with a nice tall, slender figure. Kagetora who was dressed in a samurai garb decided to be polite and not to be too rushed when he spoke to the girl.

"Excuse me miss, but is Maiko Satsuki working today?"

His voice caused the young girl to look up at him, but instead of recognizing the name, she simply looked confused; just as confused as Kagetora felt. "I'm sorry, but there has never been a Maiko Satsuki here…" she said in a puzzled tone, furrowing her eyebrows looking as if she really were trying hard to think.

If Kagetora was just a normal samurai, he wouldn't have noticed the rather dazed and faraway look that she held in her bright green eyes. Luckily, Kagetora wasn't any normal samurai. He was a ninja; and not just any ninja at that. He had been trained under a sensei that specialized in mind wiping enemies; so it was easy for him to spot something such as that.

It was obviously Maiko who had mind wiped her co-workers, but why though? It's not like they knew much about her true identity as a ninja; something that only her clan and Kagetora knew off. And why would she even tell them where she was going if she was planning on leaving? None of these things added up.

After apologizing for the 'mix up', Kagetora went on his way in search for Maiko. The first place to look was the only place he knew where to look; the spot where she had almost killed him.

When he returned to the place where she had taken him to, he paused. He recognized everything immediately for the poison was actually a paralysis. Everything from which bamboo shoot was which and which birds had witnessed Maiko's breakdown. Even with his eyes shut he could tell exactly how far Maiko travelled through the sewage system to bring him there.

There was nothing there. Nothing except three numbers etched into the ground. It wasn't too hard to spot for the muddy brown dirt showed clearly in the wilting grass that grew around it. Both number one and number two were slashed across, but number three still remained intact. It took Kagetora a few moments before guessing what the numbers meant. Actually, it made perfect sense. She failed at carrying out the mission, so number one was crossed out, and the number two as well because she had shown weakness. But why wasn't number three crossed out? She didn't kill him, so that rule must have been broken as well; unless rule three meant something completely different to kunoichi. But what could that be?

'_A ninja must kill or be killed… a ninja must be killed or be killed…'_

Kagetora repeated the sentence in his mind a couple more times, but came up with nothing. Well there was one thing though, but even though Kagetora didn't want to consider the fact, it had been considered the moment it entered his mind. And the possibilities for that outcome were impossibly high. But is Maiko that kind of person? Well, he's only been reunited with her for only several months, but they haven't seen each other in about ten years before their reunion. He obviously had no idea that she was one of the ninjas that attacked him a year ago in attempts to take his life and the princess's. He was obviously clueless about the fact that he was the one that murdered his best friend's fiancé.

And in a way, he was lucky not knowing these things. For if he did, not only would he be hurt by her betrayal, but fall into guilt because he had killed her fiancé and depression because she actually had a fiancé in the first place.

So some things are better left unknown.

* * *

"I hate this feeling… why am I in love with the person who killed everyone that I actually cared for?" Maiko muttered to herself as she buried her face in her hands to stifle the scream that escaped her lips. The pain and longing she felt inside was enough to drive anyone crazy. On this side of the veil, she was in love with her fiancé and brother's murder, and on the other side was, well, her fiancé and her brother. It made her wonder what being dead was like. Was it a completely weightless feeling where your spirit leaves your body and flies to heaven or drops to hell? Or was it to fall into an eternal sleep and never wake up? Well, Maiko hoped that the first one was what would happen. As long as she was with her loved ones again, where ever she was, heaven or hell, it didn't matter. The kunoichi, now former kunoichi, had a feeling that if she were to die, she'd surely drop to hell. She had killed many people, missions or not, she had taken many lives.

Maiko's grip on her bloodstained kunai tightened causing her previous self inflicted wounds to reopen. It had taken a couple slashes to the wrist before she finally understood what she had to do to redeem herself; something that only she could do. Alone.

Surely the world wouldn't miss one kunoichi, right?

Right.

Slowly standing up from her crouched position, she cast her gaze over the cliff she was standing on top of. Below her was the same lake where the hatred and resentment for the one she loved was born; the place where he claimed to have fallen into the future. He must have been seriously delusional that time. Who could possibly believe of flying machines, magic boxes that had moving people in them or something called the 'toilet'?

Shaking her head, she tried to brush the thoughts of Kagetora out of her mind for good as she raised the kunai. Her hands trembled slightly, but her resolution did not falter. She was going to kill herself to redeem her pride as a ninja. She had broken the first two rules already; she was not going to break the last one.

A silent tear slid down the side of her pale face as she adjusted her grip on the kunai.

"See you soon… Kagetora-kun…"

* * *

The smell of blood caused Kagetora to quicken his pace, much faster than his average running speed. The smell was only slight meaning it had come from small cuts, gashes actually, but nothing too serious to kill; yet. The fact that a familiar scent was mixed with the stench of blood was disturbing. The ninja couldn't help but feel a deep feeling of despair in the pits of his stomach.

As he neared the source of the smell, Kagetora spotted a familiar figure in the distance. Blood flowed freely from her wounds, they were very likely selfinflicted. The sunlight glinted off the weapon she held in her hands which was raised above her head, ready to stab herself.

Kagetora's eyes widened at the sight as he tried to speed up, but he knew deep down that he would never make it in time. His lips parted to scream her name, but no sound would exit. He felt death clutch its hand over his heart, everything around him seemed to slow down, but Maiko was moving at her normal pace as she adjusted her fingers to give herself a better grip on the bloodied kunai—stained with her own blood.

She paused for a moment before drawing a shaky breath, finally embedding the kunai in her stomach, twisting it to give it a deadlier, more painful touch. As she twisted it again, she staggered and swayed from side to side. Even in her half conscious state, she was able to sense a presence, Kagetora's presence.

"Kage…tora…?" she breathed weakly as she turned to face the now frozen ninja that stood behind her. Blood was trickling out from her mouth as she heaved a unsteady breath, staggering backwards a few paces. He knew it was too late to save her now. He knew that she was going to die no matter what. If only they were in the future, maybe then she would have survived. But this was not the future, this was the present and they was no hope for them here. Only the future.

A frail smile crossed Maiko's lips, glad that the last face she would see was his. "Goodbye…" she whispered, taking a step back falling off the cliff face.

When Kagetora finally realized what had happened, he didn't need to think twice about what needed to be done. Charging forward at blinding speed, the ninja who was unfazed by certain death, dived off the edge in under a second.

Only a few seconds had passed before Kagetora reached Maiko. Wrapping his arms securely around her, he held her close as the dark, murky water neared them. As long as he was with her, he didn't care where they ended up at. A familiar feeling ran through his body as they fell through the air. Maybe there might be a place for them somewhere else, in some other time. Just not in this one. Kagetora found himself wishing that if they were reincarnated, he wished that they would be reincarnated in a different time where they could love each other freely without any disastrous consequences.

Maybe some other time then…

* * *

Sakura blossoms flowered on their trees signaling the start of the Hanami festival. The pink blossoms dance through the air in light showers. Students and teachers were in an open field lit with noonday lights, celebrating the festival on one of their many fieldtrips. Everyone was enjoying themselves, watching the breathtaking flowers as they landed on the soft, emerald green grass. In the distance, tone deaf singing of drunkards could be heard singing at the top of their lungs. But all in all, everyone was having a very good time.

"Kagetora-kun!!" exclaimed a teenage girl with raven black hair that was tied in a high ponytail as she waved her hands in front of the boy's face. They were just two of the many students that littered the fields, celebrating Hanami with their own groups of friends.

The boy who was in a complete daze snapped out of it the moment her clear, light voice cut through the calm afternoon atmosphere. Raising an eyebrow he let out a sigh as he sat up, shaking a few petals from his chocolate brown hair. "I can't take a nap without you butting in, can I, Maiko?" he said with a sigh, acting as if he were annoyed. It was strange how hyper little Maiko was friends with silent Kagetora. The fact that they've known each other since childhood still stood.

Maiko merely pouted before taking a seat next to Kagetora. "Well… you're always alone so…" her voice trailed off as she turned her gaze to the ground. A small smile crossed Kagetora's lips as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers for a fraction of a second before pulling away.

When he pulled away, Maiko's expression was of complete shock and she felt blood rush to her face, her temperature rising every second.

"Wh-why'd you do that for?" she stuttered when she finally found her voice again.

Kagetora merely shrugged before stating his thoughts as if it were so simple, "Life's too short to be worried about the little things. So I thought, might as well tell you I love you."

* * *

**A/N:** I was actually planning that the ending would be when the two fell off the cliff, but since this was for my friend's birthday, I decided to add this last part.


End file.
